I knew I wanted to make a turkey craft for kids’ roundup. What I didn’t realize is how much I would be smitten with these adorable ideas! My brain is in full-on turkey mode. And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, there’s no better time to get seasonally crafty with your kids! (Yup, this idea list is for the littles and older kids.) This list goes beyond the traditional thankful turkey and includes creative craft ideas.
RELATED: Our Thanksgiving Kids Activity Table is the ultimate way to keep your kids busy and entertained this Thanksgiving!
How to make a turkey craft
Making a turkey craft is easy. When making a turkey craft, consider a turkey’s recognizable features such as feathers, feet, the gobbler, body, and unique facial characteristics. Putting all the feathers, construction paper, and glue sticks aside, remember that your kids only care about the basics of a turkey. Let them take the lead!
A turkey’s recognizable features to include in a turkey craft are:
- feathers
- feet
- gobbler
- turkey body
- turkey’s facial features (eyes, nose, mouth)
There so many cute Thanksgiving activities for kids on Pinterest that it can be overwhelming actually to choose what to do. (This is where I come in, wink, wink). We love using at least one DIY turkey craft as a decoration around our home for a sweet, one-of-a-kind handmade touch. So, if you’re searching for ideas to keep your kids busy, learning, and creative this Thanksgiving season, check out this list of 25 easy turkey crafts for kids!
Holiday Toy Guides
Welcome to the Days with Grey 2024-2025 holiday gift guide for kids. These toy lists are carefully curated to help you effortlessly make a gift selection you feel great about.
Turkey crafts are a learning activity.
As with most crafts for kids, turkey crafts can be a learning opportunity! Research has shown that seasonal and holiday-themed crafts are important for childhood development. Like many seasonal crafts and activities, making Thanksgiving turkey crafts is a fantastic hands-on way to help kids develop their fine motor skills and creativity.
Benefits of turkey crafts:
- Coloring and painting
- Gluing
- Letter recognition
- Number awareness
- Scissor skills
- Sensory awareness
- Tracing
Simple supplies needed for turkey crafts
Turkey crafts require minimal art supplies. You don’t need to run out to the craft store to spend tons of money on specific craft supplies to make Thanksgiving turkeys. Now is not the time for that (especially if you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner).
PRO TIP: Get creative with what you have!
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Basic turkey craft supplies:
- Construction paper
- Feathers
- Google Eyes
- Glue
- Nature findings (pine cones, leaves)
- Paper plates
- Scissors
- Yarn
RELATED: Use an art cart to organize all of your arts and crafts supplies — you’ll thank me later for this one!
Cute turkey crafts
This easy Thanksgiving crafts and activities list is fantastic for kids of all ages! Whether you’re looking for an arts and crafts project, game, or letter activity, there is something for everyone.
Watercolor Turkey Place Settings
I am a sucker for kid artwork, and putting this on the Thanksgiving table is a no-brainer for me. It reminds children they are included in the family unit and represented on the day we all share thanks. Handprint turkey crafts never go out of style.
Paper Bag Turkey Craft
Younger kids will enjoy this brown paper turkey. Make this turkey craft out of leftover paper bags and construction paper. It’s super cute to hang as Thanksgiving decor.
Turkey Table Template
Use this printable template to make adorable little turkeys that your kids can color and decorate while waiting for the turkey to cook. It’s a fun way to pass the time.
Paper Plate Turkey Craft
Decorate paper plates using paint and construction paper to make these little turkeys for toddlers and preschoolers.
Sight Word Turkeys
This simple turkey sight word activity uses white paper to develop letter recognition and sight words. It is excellent for kindergarteners and big kids.
Nature Leaf Turkey
To make this darling turkey craft, go on a leaf hunt, trace little hands, cut out handprints, and decorate with fall leaves. Use fall leaves to create colorful feathers!
Hilarious Yarn Turkey
This yarn-covered turkey project involves creating a textured turkey body and head using colorful yarn segments and foam paper accents. With easy-to-follow instructions and a focus on creativity, this craft is perfect for kids and creates a festive activity.
Fork Painted Turkey
Who knew forks made such great painting tools? Make creatively painted turkeys using forks to paint the feathers of a turkey. Simple crafts are a lot of fun.
Turkey Trot Board Game
We love making this simple turkey game for preschool, which helps your little ones count and practice number recognition. Little kids adore this DIY game.
Pine Cone Turkey Craft
This pine cone turkey makes the best turkey! Send your kids outside to collect pine cones, which they can decorate as little turkeys while they develop fine motor skills with beads.
Paper Turkey Craft
Make a 3-D cone-shaped turkey using construction paper and colored feathered pipe cleaners.
Retell Turkey Trouble
Practice story retelling using the classic book Turkey Trouble by Wendy Silvano to open up a conversation about Thanksgiving. This is a great activity to get everyone moving!
Turkey Sensory Bottle
These cute little turkeys are sensory bottles! This is the ultimate activity for art lovers and fans of sensory play.
Pool Noodle Turkeys
Now that summer is over use those leftover pool noodles, feathers, and googly eyes to make silly little turkeys. You can also make these with toilet paper rolls.
Tissue Paper Turkeys
Grab some tissue paper, a paper plate, and a few other simple supplies to make this adorable turkey craft. You can also use painted coffee filters for the feathers.
Family Handprint Turkey
Create a family craft that you will want to save by using all of your family’s handprints to make a colorful handprint turkey craft while kids practice tracing and cutting skills.
Clay Pot Turkey
Your kids will love transforming a pot into a cute Thanksgiving turkey. Why not make a bunch?
Pom Pom Turkey
These adorable pom pom turkeys can be used as festive puppets or a sweet kid-made decoration for the Thanksgiving table!
Paper Plate Turkey Wreath
An easy paper plate turkey craft to make with kids in the classroom or at home. It makes a cute Thanksgiving decoration.
Turkey Name Activity
I love it when a craft doubles as a fine motor and name recognition activity. The kids will gobble up these feather-letter name turkeys.
Construction Paper Turkey
Use construction paper in a new way by bending it to make a 3-D turkey.
Cardboard Turkey
This easy cardboard turkey activity is perfect for “whatever” you have in the craft box. In fact, it is a great opportunity to use up everything and start fresh in the new year. It comes with a free template, too!
Chalk Turkey
Kids will use colorful chalk pastels on black paper to create this vibrant turkey craft!
Salt Dough Turkeys
Add some science to your Thanksgiving crafting with these Salt Dough and Chromatography Turkeys.
Tie Dye Turkey Craft
This will be the most colorful turkey craft you make this season! Tie dye paper towels to make one-of-a-kind rainbow feathers. Have kids use a glue stick to add the colorful feathers.
Cardboard Turkey Names
Use this cute cardboard turkey craft to develop fine motor skills and recognize names.
Your kids need to make turkey crafts!
Keep your kids crafty this Thanksgiving with any or all of these easy turkey crafts for kids! And don’t forget to display their little works of art around your home. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Seasonal Activity Cards
No more searching for ideas. Here’s exactly what you need to celebrate fall, Halloween, winter, and Noon Year’s Eve.
You will ADORE these 20 all-new ideas.
FAQs for turkey crafts
Thanksgiving crafts for kids include paper plate turkeys, gratitude pumpkins, thankful fall trees, leaf turkeys, yarn turkey table centerpieces, fork-painted turkeys, pine cone crafts, and pool noodle turkeys.
Making a turkey craft is easy. You can use construction paper, plates, feathers, and even leftover cardboard to craft simple and colorful Thanksgiving turkeys.
Kids can learn so much from making turkey crafts. Turkey crafts are a great way to teach your kids about Thanksgiving as well as practice various fine motor skills.
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